Till All Are Gone
by EchelonPrime9
Summary: In 1984, the Autobots and the Decepticons wake up after eons of unconsciousness in a ship known as the Ark. They find themselves on a planet called Earth... But we all know that. This time, instead of building their fortress, the Decepticons engineer a plague. A plague that would enslave the Autobots. (Bad at summaries, sorry) Transformers- Hasbro


_Have to get away._

_Have to __**escape**_.

Those thoughts, spawned in the deepest, most instinctive part of the processor, made Wheeljack want to laugh as he clambered up the side of the rusted steel bunker. Bullets plinked into the metal on either side of him.

The blue and gold mech pulled himself nimbly onto the curved steel of the roof, balancing easily- a long time ago he might've slipped and fallen but he didn't now. From the very top of the bunker he could just see the red blinking lights he had oh-so-carefully planted around the abandoned military base. The bunker was part of this base, one of the many storage areas for human aircraft that was slowly being taken over by nature.

_Disgusting._

It had been that way since mid-1985, when Optimus Prime had ordered two frontline berserkers- known as the Twins- to annihilate it in one of the early Autobot raids. The remnants of jets and helicopters littered the cracked asphalt. Most of the bunkers still stood- and they made the perfect hiding place for a wounded, fuel-deprived Lancia.

_And his accomplice._

Wheeljack didn't risk glancing towards their bolthole. He couldn't risk leading them there.

_Speaking of._

_Tatataatataatata! _A multi-colored F-22 barrel-rolled into view, spewing bullets out of twin guns.

Wheeljack held up his arms to shield his optics and bolted for the edge of the bunker.

The metal groaned underneath his pedes, beginning to cave underneath the combined weight of the Autobot and the force of the bullets striking it. It finally gave way, throwing Wheeljack down onto the dusty cement floor. He crashed into it, the tiny webs of cracks spreading out from underneath his back.

The engineer groaned and wiped the dust from his golden optics before sitting up and giving himself a quick once-over.

All seemed good.

"_Wheeljack!"_ A hoarse set of vocalizers crackled over the comm.

Groaning internally, Wheeljack answered the call, snapping, "_**What?!"**_

"The humans are sending in ground forces. They will be on your position in approximately thirty-one point four four seconds." The weakened voice rose angrily, "I suggest you do something about it before they _locate me as well!"_

"**Can't **_**you **_**do something about it?" **Wheeljack asked, irritated.

"You _know_ I can't." The mech at the other end of the line purred silkily, his lilting voice as calm and collected as if he had never been angry. "But if you would get your aft in-"

Before the voice could continue the rant Wheeljack growled and signed off.

0o0o0o0

"Stop." Sam, the head of the group, halted in his tracks and held up one balled fist. "I'm picking up something."

He fiddled with his radio, and a few seconds later muted talking filled the tense silence, "Damn. There are more than one of the Autobot bastards!"

He turned to the nearest soldier, "Contact DePrae and his squad and tell 'em to track down the signal, then notify Thundercracker and Starscream-"

"We already know." A different voice interrupted through the radio.

"Well, who exactly is this guy?" Sam demanded, "What are we up against?" He paused, "I know you can hear me, Thundercracker!"

"No need to snap." Thundercracker sounded a little hurt.

"If it is who we think it is-" Starscream began

"I don't _care_ who it is!" Sam's voice rose in pitch, "We're fifty yards from a crazy ass Autobot who wouldn't hesitate to kill us the second we lay eyes on him! What. Are. We. Up. Against?!"

"If it is who we think it is," Starscream tried again, "Then we're in trouble. _They are both insane._ And together-"

The jet was suddenly cut off when the wall to the bunker exploded, showering down large chunks of metal and concrete right onto the soldiers.

A blue mech exploded from the smoke, golden optics and headfins alight with a ravenous fury. The Autobot thundered into the midst of the soldiers.

The helicopters' attempts to mow it down were ignored completely as it picked up soldiers and crushed them in its bare hands, throwing them aside as if they were nothing but bothersome bugs. Blood splattered its armour.

"Shoot! Shoot!" Sam ordered desperately, but before he could..

_KRAK-KOOM!_

Thundercracker shot through the air, arcing around the back of the bunker. Missiles flew from his rocket launchers, heading straight for the Autobot.

Or straight for where it had been. It was already gone, and the bunker exploded had in a shower of sparks, smoke, and flames. A miniature mushroom cloud bloomed the night sky.

_Stupid Decepticons. _Wheeljack chuckled gleefully to himself as he scrambled over bits and pieces of debris, keeping to the shadows between the rows of aircraft storage bunkers. _With their human pets. Too disposable. Too easily squished. _

Stumbling ungracefully over the uneven terrain and nearing the very edge of the island, Wheeljack began to wish- not for the first time- that he still possessed an alt mode.

His t-cog hadn't worked for years- not since the experiments- but he had never forgotten the sensation of speed. The feeling of the wind as it flowed easily over the white and green of his paintjob..

If he had an alt mode then he could've gotten out of this Unicron-forsaken place by now.

_Though not without his accomplice._

Ducking behind the very last bunker in the row for a quick break, the twisted engineer studied the organic human fluids caked between his finger joints. It covered a very finely sowed layer of rust.

_We need each other._ The mech had said, shifting his weight against the hard cement floor, grimacing as the texture grated against the rust that was slowly eating through his chassis. Curdled energon dripped lazily down his armor, _Together we can engineer a cure._

They'd struck a deal. The green and white mech would repair the gravely injured Lancia and share his dwindling energon reserves in exchange for Wheeljack's protection.

Together they would attempt to formulate a cure for the rust disease that threatened them both.

It wasn't easy. Wheeljack and his duly appointed partner had a history.

Suddenly the roar of a nearby jet jerked him from his thoughts. Wheeljack slowly inched along, pressed against the wall, keeping to the shadows. He slipped inside the bunker, taking shelter underneath the broken wing of a rusted old F-14.

"Come to borrow a cup of ener-juice?" A voice whispered conspiratorially from behind him.

Wheeljack spun around just in time to meet a thrumming null ray pointed at his face.

0o0o0o0

iPOOM!/i

A dark blue mech crashed through the side of the metal structure and collided forcefully with the grayed asphalt.

Humans swarmed out of the shadows, their low-pitched, annoying voices joining the sounds of guns reloading and of the rhythmic whirring of helicopter blades. Several spotlights illuminated the night sky. They shone down on the Autobot scientist as he hauled himself up. His golden mask was scorched and cracked. His mouth showed, dripping green energon.

"Stay back!" Thundercracker warned, raising his null rays, "He's insane! Let me and Starscream handle this!"

Wheeljack's optics lit up dramatically, and the corners of his mouth twitched as he held up a small black remote.

"_**I. Am. Not. CRAZY!" **_He screamed, pressing the singular button that rested on the remote and detonating the charges.

The whole island went to hell as the base went up in flames, helicopters swerving violently and ramming into each other. Soldiers scattered, trying desperately in vain to escape the explosions Screams adorned the black night.

Wheeljack smiled softly and turned, ready to slip away into the shadows.

"Oh no you don't!" Starscream transformed in mid-air, the ends of his twin null rays humming with a bright blue glow. He got off several shots, one glancing off Wheeljack's shoulder and the other making contact with his chestplates. The scientist stumbled back a few steps, clutching at the massive wound that was gushing bright green energon.

He lunged for the Decepticon SIC, murder in his optics.

Starscream was raising his arms to protect himself when a blinding bright light flooded the area.

_Chink!_ A harpoon shot through the whiteness and speared through Wheeljack's servo. The harpoon was yanked back by a thick tether, dragging the Autobot with it, away from Starscream. Another harpoon appeared from a different direction, penetrating Wheeljack's right leg and dragging him roughly to the ground.

The scream that was wrenched from the mech was deafening.

Starscream cursed and kicked the Autobot in the abdominal plating. Wheeljack's scream cut off abruptly, though he still struggling furiously to dislodge the brutal weapons. "I remember when you _weren't _crazy."

He stepped aside, comming the helicopters, "Kill him."

Suddenly Wheeljack catapulted forward, ripping his servo away from the harpoon. It tore off with the splattering of green energon and liquefied rust.

"Cosmic Rust!" Starscream yelped, scrambling away from the scientist and waving for Thundercracker to get back, "Shoot him! _Shoot him!"_

The Autobot was desperately trying to separate his leg from the device. Energon spilled from his wounds, weakening him. But he was nowhere near spent. _As soon as_

_I get free from this miserable spear, I'll show them. I'll show them all what real pain is._

The first rounds of bullets hit him like hail. Wheeljack shielded his optics with his servoless arm, continuing to pry furiously at the harpoon.

He didn't even see the missiles coming.

0o0o0o0

"The other one should be in that one." Hanson whispered, gesturing with his scanner towards the bunker, looming alone in the dark.

"It's separated from the explosions. This bastard was very careful in planting is devices. Completely missed this part of the base." DePrae's grin flashed white against the dark. "I'll bet this guy is the brains."

"Uh.. sir?" Hanson asked.

"What is it?" DePrae snapped impatiently.

"We.. We may want to wait for Starscream and Thundercracker, sir. The scanner says it's designation is-"

"I don't _care_ what it's bloody name is! We're moving out!"

The grouped soldiers roused at the order, moving across the rough terrain as a unit. They ignored the sounds of battle from the far side of the base, choosing instead to focus on their mission as they slowly circled around the bunker.

Suddenly the door to the bunker opened and a hoarse voice called from within, "Come on in.."

The voice paused and a wet, rattling sound, not unlike choking, echoed out. When the voice spoke again, it sounded amused, "..I don't bite.."

DePrae straightened up, "I will go in alone," He announced. He turned and surveyed his soldiers, "Keep an eye out here."

Then he motioned to Hanson, "What'd you say it's name was?"

0o0o0o0

"Alright. I came in. What do you want?" DePrae hovered in the doorway. The formerly green and white mech was propped up against the wall. Rust has eaten through a good portion of its chassis and a purple Autobot insignia, glowing faintly, adorned its chest.

DePrae's finger tightened on the trigger of his gun. He could end this creature's life in an instant, in its weakened condition, and from the calm gaze that beheld him now, the Cybertronian did too.

Green energon dripped lazily from the side of the mech's mouth as it opened it's mouth to speak, "I know you.. know who I am." It tilted it's helm, smirking, "We might as well.. address each other by our _given_ designations if you wish to _deal_ with me, Ezekiel DePrae of Skywatch, or should I say.. Captain Spike Witwicky?"

"Very well." Spike glanced outside briefly, then shut off his commline and stepped further into the bunker, "Let's deal, Autobot Ratchet."


End file.
